Monday is all About Fabric #7 – Sleeping Porch by Heather Ross

Heather Ross is the only fabric designer that I have a special basket for. It’s set apart from all the rest of the fabrics.  Even the scraps do not get put in the scrap baskets.  They have their own place too.

There is a reason why…

Heather Ross fabrics are awesome.

I don’t use them that much.  I’ve been trying to force myself to use them more, but it almost hurts to cut into them.  I just like to occasionally pull them out and pet them (although I have recently cut quite a bit of my stash for a hexagon quilt).

I have a hoard. Literally. I have really, really old prints of hers that can’t be found anymore.  Unless of course you are willing to pay an arm and leg for.  I got these prints by trading yards and yards and yards of fabrics for small pieces.  Yes, I love them that much.

Note:  I also have a stash of Denise Schmidt’s Hope Valley that I have tucked in a drawer and hidden from the world and all my other fabrics, because it’s Denise Schmidt’s Hope Valley.

But let’s pretend I didn’t say that and get back to Heather Ross’s Sleeping Porch line.

Wowza!

Okay, this is not the full line.  This is 13 prints of the 24 total.  Of which 6 are solids.

Let’s face it, we can’t have it all sometimes.  Sometimes we have to be selective when we are on a budget which I seem to always be.  Every time new fabrics arrive at my door I get the stank eye from my husband.  “What?,” I smile.  “It’s for work,” I reply is my innocent voice. (giggle, giggle)

Heather Ross has built an empire on her art skills.

These two books I have and immensely enjoyed.

This one is about her most popular prints.  There is also a cd-rom included for several of her designs that you can then upload to Spoonflower and have them printed on fabric.  They are all out of print, so it’s nice to have.

And this one is a memoir.  It’s really good.  It’s mostly about her childhood, which was in her words ‘disfunctional’.  Some of her stories make me picture where the fabric was coming from.

Heather Ross also has a couple of classes on CreativeBug.  One of them is on fabric design.  If you watch it you can see those famous strawberries coming to life (the strawberry print is one of my faves.)

Back to Sleeping Porch…

These are my favorites from this line.  These florals are to die for!!

and the moth print!  So perfect.

and the snails!  Okay, I hope my excitement is not annoying you, but you did see the snails, right?  Cute!

I have always liked Heather’s green prints.  Her green is one of my favorites.

So something you might not have known…

Windham Fabrics asked Heather Ross to do a special line geared towards quilters.  Sleeping Porch is that line.  So it’s basically made for you and me.

What is different about this line to me is the lack of fussy cuts that normally come standard with Heather Ross fabrics.  Also, they are all cotton lawn.  Drapey, silky, yummy fabric lawn!

To see six quilts that were made with Sleeping Porch, check out Heather’s lookbook here.

Here is the whole line for your viewing pleasure.  Want to buy?  Yes, yes!

And if you too like to hoard out of print fabrics, I suggest you check out ebay here.  Or be like me and trade for them.